Article
- Zhao Qizheng, Chairman of Foreign Affairs Comm., CPPCC
Big steps need to be taken to better explain China to the world. In the 1980 UNESCO publication Many Voices One World, also known as the MacBride report, the book identified the world’s current communication trend: concentration of media and unequal access to information. After 30 years of development, China witnessed tremendous economic growth, yet comnunication to the outside world did not up pick up the same speed. Are domestic media capable of handling such a global event as the 2010 Shanghai Expo?And what can they do to meet up the requirements for covering this event?
Guest Profile:
Zhao Qizheng started his work expressing China at the end of the 1990s. Between‘98 and 2005, he worked as spokesperson for the State Council press office, and was later crowned as“China’s No.1 press officer”. At the end of 2005, he was invited to work as dean of the Journalism School at Renmin University of China.
Q: Why did the promotion of China not pick up as fast as China’s economic growth in the past few years?
R: There are many reasons. One is that we’ve only been opened up for 30 years. Before; we were quite self-enclosed and had little contact with other countries. And our economy was not global, so little contact with the outside world at that time was ok. Now things are very different and we need to heighten our interaction with the international community. What happens in China tends to be a concern of the entire world, and in turn China is largely subject to its outside environment. Since we opened up so late, we did not express ourselves clearly enough to the outside world. The Chinese language is really complicated and there are so many distinctions compared with other languages in the world. Although Chinese is spoken by a large population, in terms of the number of countries, few can really understand it.
Q: Is language the only barrier?
R: It matters a lot. Our newspapers, magazines and films cannot advance across borders if they are not properly translated, and translation itself is also a problem. This sort of cross-cultural translation is much more complicated than the language translation itself. That’s why a number of our prominent works cannot really appeal internationally. As far as I know there are only about twenty well-qualified English translators in Beijing who can elegantly translate Chinese novels into English. Therefore the promotion of China and its culture is difficult.
Q: Do we have an appropriate solution to that?
R: We need to focus on two aspects. One is that we learn from some countries promoting Chinese worldwide. For example, we have set up 200 Confucius Institutes around the globe. But it takes time to work. The other thing is that we could engage those foreign experts specializing in Chinese and Chinese affairs as well as journalists and editors who understand China to introduce the country. In doing so, we can overcome cultural differences. Essentially, China has to have great journalists, editors and efficient English-speaking channels. Only when we have all these, can we express China clearly.
Q: As I work personally in the news circle, to me it seems much easier to spread and contribute information to daily news? Is it probably easier for foreigner to understand what China is like today through news, daily news especially, than read a translated Chinese novel, isn’t it?
R: However, we have difficulties in transmitting news abroad. Although we have quality journalism, its international presence is weak. For example, in Washington, the BBC has 200 reporters, while journalists from China Daily, Xinhua news agency, CRI and other media organizations only have one tenth of that number in total. And they are Anglo-Saxons and of similar culture, so it’s easier for them to have more contacts and get access to news leads. In contrast, for Chinese reporters to get first hand exclusive news abroad is very difficult. What we lack is a broad public relations network. Without an effective network, we cannot have an exclusive news source. For general breaking news, there is no difference doing it in Beijing or in Washington, as the Internet could provide the same information and guarantee the same speed. What is desperately needed is the ability to catch unique news, unique interviews and exclusive interviews. Take ICS for example, two vital elements stand out: exclusive, real-time news and interviews with important figures. The interviews come from years of accumulated thought and the interviewee’s viewpoints of the latest changes.
Q: But as for foreign viewers or readers, who will bother to watch say CCTV in the states or in Europe, or read news from a Chinese media website?
R: You hit the point. We have China Daily, CCTV9 and even CCTV E and CCTV F, all targeted at foreigners, but do they read or watch us? It’s based on two aspects. One is the increasing importance of China, and what happens here is of international concern. So that a special news story attracts a lot of attention abroad and even gets reprinted. And the other is our local news agenda. Local stock, local weather and local shows, local happenings as in robberies or car crashes, they do appeal to some foreigners who want to know about this country or a city. But for the general foreign audience, if they have 200 channels at home, why would they make a Chinese channel their priority? Except for Chinese abroad or those who study China, China’s English-speaking channels will not be a foreign audience’priority. CNN is most likely their priority, because their news is real-time, their special angles, and their in-depth comments. Although the comments are not necessarily correct, we are not able to make similar comments right now.
Q: Is there a need for us to examine the way we use the language to promote China? In your book you said we need to use China stance, an International expression, what do you mean by that, How do you define that?
R: China stance means, say you are a Chinese reporter for Chinese TV stations, so no doubt you will cover more stories related to China and Chinese people, this is how we can present China to the entire world and help foreigners better understand China. When covering international affairs, our angles should clearly reflect what the country stands for. We should voice China’s opinions on the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue, Chinese leaders meeting with the EU at the G20, and recent political riots in Thailand. So the China stance is not a selfish one. Chinese reporters are responsible for making China clear to the whole globe. China is always interpreted differently internationally. Of course, I will come to Xinhua news agency, CCTV and Shanghai TV, because we trust our own reporters. And just for the China stance, journalists have to be responsible, honest and accurate. China stance is not selfish and harmful; it’s not lies and false information. International expression is to make us understandable globally. This is hard. Sometimes it is even hard for Chinese to understand an article in its mother tongue. I think the wording we use in print differs from the way we speak. Print versions are too literary. So our expression should be simple and understandable.
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